A Tokyo-bound plane caught fire on the runway while attempting to take off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines capital city of Manila on Sunday, and exploded, killing all eight on board, airport personnel told CNN.
All passengers on board Lion Air Flight RPC 5880 died after the plane caught fire as it was taking off from the airport, according to Manila’s International Airport Authority.
An American and Canadian were on board the flight, according to the flight’s passenger manifest. The other six on board were Filipino, according to the manifest.
“The flight, which was on a medEvac mission to Haneda, Japan, was carrying two (2) passengers and six (6) crew members,” MIAA said in a statement.
Philippines Red Cross spokesman Richard Gordon said the six crew members included three flight crew, one flight medic, a nurse, and a doctor.
Our fire and medic teams were already dispatched to NAIA Terminal 2 to respond to the plane crash incident involving Lion Air Flight RPC 5880. 8 passengers consisting of a flight medic, nurse, doctor, three flight crew, one patient and its companion were on board.
— Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) March 29, 2020
The-CNN-Wire
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NTD staff contributed to this report.
